between us. That could be because Jasmine had practically welded herself to my hip, but I wondered if something else was up.
I should just ask Adrian how he intended to prove that he wouldnât betray me again. Or ask him how he felt about meâthe other question I couldnât stop wondering about. Yet I didnât have the courage to do it, and the irony of that wasnât lost on me. How could I hope to win a fight against demons if I didnât even have the guts to wage an emotional battle?
Racetrack Playa in Death Valley, California, was hot, with sunshine so strong, the rays almost felt tangible. Iâd expected mile upon mile of gently rolling sand hills, but the terrain was flat, hard earth that reminded me more of an endless parking lot than a desert. In many ways, it was the exact opposite of a demon realm, yet this area had the same air of desolateness, and if I squinted, the mountains in the distance could have been gargantuan pyramids that demons so loved to show off with.
Jasmine looked around with more bemusement than trepidation, reminding me that the only realm sheâd seen had been Adrianâs. That had been a paradise compared to some of the others, with petrified trees mimicking a forest and frozen rivers reflecting lights from the magnificent, blue-hued city.
âSee all the rocks, Ivy?â Adrian said, breaking through my memories. âThose trails behind them are why weâre here.â
Countless rocks did litter the cracked ground, ranging in size from baseballs to boulders. Most had trails behind them, indicating that theyâd been dragged to their positions. Some of those trails were short, as if a child had pushed the smaller ones a few inches before growing bored, yet some of them stretched out farther than I could see, and it would take several people to move the bigger boulders even an inch.
Why would anyone want to come out to Death Valley just to push around rocks? I wondered. Talk about being in desperate need of a social life. Then I looked more closely at the trails behind the rocks. Something was missing...
âThere are no footprints,â I said in surprise. âHow did those stones move, if no one was out here to move them?â
Adrian gave me an arch look. âExactly. Scientists recently came up with a reason why the sailing stones moved on their own, but I donât buy it. Thatâs why this place is our first stop. Do you sense anything hallowed at play here?â
The million-dollar question. I took a deep breath, focusing on the supernatural sensor inside me. After a few moments, I frowned. Nothing. Was this thing inside me even on?
I tried again, closing my eyes as I concentrated harder. Minutes ticked by, and still, nothing. Okay, maybe there wasnât anything sacred within a hundred miles of this place, but then I should have felt the lack of it. Instead, all I felt was sweat trickling down my body and a headache coming on.
âIvy.â Adrianâs voice was low. âAre you okay?â
I opened my eyes, a sigh hissing through my teeth as I figured out the problem. âNo. Iâm completely out of shape!â
âSays who?â Costa said, giving me a once-over.
I almost kicked a nearby rock out of frustration. âNot like that. I spent the past couple months learning how to fight, but I havenât worked on my hallowed radar since I found the slingshot. That means now, my hallowed radar is as sluggish as if it spent this whole time couch-surfing while bingeing on chips and beer.â
Jasmine gave me an incredulous look. âAre you serious?â
âAs if Iâd joke about this,â I muttered.
There had to be a way to jump-start my process. After all, Iâd managed to use my hallowed finder back when I didnât even know that I had the ability. Of course, back then my life was usually in danger, so that had probably factored into thingsâ
Inspiration hit and I spun around, grabbing Adrian by the arm. âChoke me,â I announced. âSurvival instinct kicks my abilities into gear, as you proved so memorably before.â
A muscle ticked in his jaw. âNo.â
âBut you have to,â I said, which should have been obvious. Otherwise, weâd wasted three days driving all the way out here.
His featured tightened. âI only did that before because a childâs life was on the line. Unless itâs life-or-death, Iâm never hurting you again. Besidesââ his voice lost its harshness ââsurvival instinct isnât the only thing that can trigger your abilities. Adrenaline should work, too.â
I let out a short laugh. âSo I should find a scorpion and pet it for the sheer terror of the experience?â
His mouth quirked. âYou could, but I had something else in mind.â
* * *
MY SEAT BELT was on as tight as I could stand. I also had one hand pressed against the side window while the other gripped the seat divider. In addition to that, my leg was braced against the dashboard so I could wedge my body farther into the seat. Still, it felt like Iâd be vaulted out of the car at any moment.
And I couldnât stop smiling. That was the craziest thing. At first, Iâd been nervous when Adrian gunned the Challenger to incredible speeds across the desert, leaving Jasmine, Costa and the bus containing Brutus far behind. Then Iâd been shocked by how he could spin the muscle car around in circles and cause it to âdriftâ while still maintaining complete control.
Iâd never done something reckless just for the fun of it before. Jasmine had always been the impulsive one. Iâd been careful, polishing my mask of normalcy as I went through the motions that were otherwise referred to as life. For the longest time, I blamed my ennui on the medication I took for my hallucinations, but then I found out the pills were placebos. My parents had supplied them, knowing there was no cure for my condition, but not wanting to admit that until they thought I could handle it. What they hadnât known was that the cause of my visions was supernatural instead of medical.
No, Iâd numbed myself to the world all on my own, resigning myself to never feeling the things that ânormalâ people felt. Then I met Adrian. He didnât just wake something up inside me; in many ways, heâd transformed me. No wonder I had such difficulty controlling myself around him. Maybe, for the moment, I shouldnât even try to. Maybe, like I was doing with this wild car ride, I should just enjoy being reckless instead.
I unclipped my seat belt and slid across the seat. Adrian gave me a startled look, slowing the car at once. I didnât wait for it to stop before I leaned over and pressed my lips to his.
His response was immediate, and electric. He yanked me closer, the momentum from him hitting the brakes slamming me harder against him. I didnât care, because his mouth slanted over mine and his arms crushed me to him. I moaned as his tongue slashed past my lips, tangling with mine until I felt drunk with his taste. I breathed in his scent, reveled in the scrape of his lightly stubbled jaw, then arched in wordless bliss when he pulled me all the way onto his lap.
He kissed me deeper, each stroke of his tongue igniting my senses, until my whole body felt like it vibrated from desire. I was lightheaded, as if everything around me was still spinning, but the car had come to a complete stop. His hands moved down
